Partnering with our consumers

Partnering with our consumers

• POLICY

It is a policy of The Sydney Clinic for Gastrointestinal Diseases to implement systems to support partnering with patients, carers and other consumers to improve the safety and quality of care.

The Chief Executive Officer, Management and staff of the Clinic are committed to “Patient Focused Care” and engage with patients and families to promote safety and quality. It values the positive contribution consumers and the community make in improving health care service.

• EXPECTED OUTCOME

To create a service that is responsive to patient, carer and consumer input and needs, which is reflective of the diverse range of backgrounds in our consumer population

• PROCEDURE

Patients and carers are involved with service planning, designing care and service measurement and evaluation. This includes input with the following:

• Strategic and operational/service planning.
• Consulting consumers on patient information distributed by the organization.
• Partnering with consumers and/or carers to design the way care is delivered to better meet patient needs and preferences
• Implementing training for clinical leaders, senior management and the workforce on the value of and ways to facilitate consumer engagement and how to create and sustain partnerships

Strategies used to engage consumers

Face to face conversations – formal and informal
Consumer advisory / Focus Group Meeting – (annual) Patient /Carer surveys and questionnaires
Compliments / Suggestions/ Complaints brochure
Suggestion box
Telephone interviews
GP Education Seminars
Patient Education Seminar

Education and Training
All staff are educated and receive regular training on
Department meetings routinely discuss feedback from patients / carers / consumers (either formally or informally).
All staff are requested to be pro active with listening to issues raised by the patients/ carers and address and resolve the issue immediately, if not, it should be discussed with a more senior staff member.